Knowing the amount of water your sprinkler system applies to your landscape is an important step in efficient water use. Most people irrigate their landscape for a given number of minutes without knowing how much water they are really applying. This may lead to over- or under-watering.
This describes the evenness of an irrigation application across a landscaped area that is typically made up of turf grass. Poor (low) DU in turf zones is common, resulting in significantly reduced overall system efficiency and causing large quantities of wasted water. DU can be expressed as a percentage or decimal value.
This section will demonstrate how to collect the data needed to calculate DU.
1. Obtain enough straight-sided containers to reasonably cover the irrigated space. These containers will be sued to catch the irrigation water. Containers need to be the same size and should be from 3 to 6 inches in diameter.
2. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, place the containers in one zone at a time. Lay out the cans as shown below, in an orderly fashion. Repeat the entire procedure in every zone because there may be differences in the irrigation rates. If you use a hose-end sprinkler to water your landscape, place the containers in a straight line from the sprinkler to the edge of the watering pattern. Space the containers evenly.
3. Turn the water on for 15 minutes. If you go over or under time, please input the exact time in the app.
4. Use a ruler to measure the depth of water in each container. Note: The more precise the measurement, the better your calibration will be. For most cases, measurements to the nearest 1/8 inch are adequate. Centemeters or inches can be used with this app.
